“Uncle, in front can liao.”
“Okay, ah, lengzai (handsome boy), you want receipt to claim?”
“Uncle, no need, my boss very stingy.”
That’s probably how a conversation about receipts usually happen before Covid-19 struck.
But now, if you refuse a receipt from the taxi uncle, he could get fined $50.
New Rule Kicked In On 11 Jun 2020
From 11 June 2020 onwards, any taxi drivers caught not issuing receipts to passengers who flag down taxis from the street will be fined $50.
The idea is that with the receipt, it’ll make contact tracing easier since the time, car plate and other important details are all within the piece of paper.
Passengers are “strongly encouraged” to keep the receipts for 14 days, the official incubation period for covid-19.
For passengers who booked a taxi on apps like ComfortDelgro or Grab, they do not have to be issued receipts.
As for how the new rule will be enforced, LTA will investigate feedback on drivers who do not comply “carefully”.
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Some Taxi Drivers Not Happy That They’d be Fined $50 if They Didn’t Print Receipts for Passengers
Not every taxi driver is happy with the new rule.
Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Ang Hin Kee, who is the executive adviser to the National Taxi Association, says he hopes LTA won’t incorporate a punishment with the new rule.
Taxi drivers make $50 on a good day, he argued, and imposing a fine of $50 would’ve wiped away their entire day’s earnings.
Mr William Lim, the administrator of the Singapore Taxi Driver Facebook Group, also questioned the rule’s effectiveness.
Taxis now already has the SafeEntry QR code so why do taxis have to ‘go back to basics’.
Commuters are also likely to “throw away” a receipt after getting issued one.
New Rule Meant To Complement SafeEntry System
I think everyone gets the general idea of the new rule: people with mobile phones can use SafeEntry. Those without can keep receipts. End of the day, everyone has something to help with contact tracing.
While the rule is supposed to complement SafeEntry for passengers without mobile phones, Mr Ang said that he doesn’t know anyone who would go out without their phones nowadays.
“For senior citizens with no phones, they should be mostly staying at home during these times.”
Receipts shouldn’t be needed to be issued to people who have phones and have already “checked in” to the taxi.
Efforts, he added, should be on getting people to use SafeEntry at taxis.
Punishment also shouldn’t be solely aimed at taxi drivers if receipts must be issued for every street hail, he added.
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